Reading His Mind (8 page)

Jace tried to pull me down beside him, but I yanked my arm away.

“To Max and Melody.” I pointed a finger at them, aiming a wink in their general vicinity. “You have no idea how lucky you are, girl. No voices, no crazy attaching itself to you. Well, except for those two.” My finger veered to my parents. “That’s not all that lucky but, whatever.” I paused to regroup. “So, now you have found true love, and you look sparkly.” I chuckled a bit. “I should know. We share the same face, right? Although, I looked into the mirror, and I am not sparkly. But you are.” Melody looked pained. “Oh, you just turn your frown upside down, little lady.” Leaning over the table, I beeped her nose. “This is your happy day. The family who loves you, the man who adores you, another who can’t imagine how he let you get away….” I dropped a hand to Jace’s shoulder, and he coughed, spitting his water toward the center of the table. I tilted my head, unable to imagine why my truth upset him. I continued. “They’re all here to celebrate you, Mel.
You
. And you deserve it. Because you’re good and kind.” I shook my head. “This is all about you.” The drunken babble continued.

“Lyric, maybe you should sit down.” Jace’s older brother, Dylan, looked up at me, his smile slight but unwavering.

“Hey, you wait your turn, Laugherty. I’ll toast you in a minute.”

He chuckled. “Can’t wait.”

“I’ll bet.” I turned to Mel. “Anyways, as I was saying, Melody. Melody. Lyric. Melody.” I looked down at Jace. “It’s really weird, our names.” I turned to my mom. “It was the drugs, right? That’s why you shredded the components of a song and made them our names. Drugs.” I gazed down at Gran. “You know she has a drug problem, right?”

Jace stood. “If you hurry up,” he whispered, “we can order, eat, and then go find a nice quiet elevator.”

“Your breath tickled my ear,” I whispered back. “Anyway, hope you’re happy together. Let’s eat.”

“That turned out better than I expected,” my father muttered.

“Yes, well, I guess we are all lucky she didn’t choose to toast you, Richard.” Gran’s voice was quiet but stern. “It might not have been so painless.”

Jace’s family continued to regard me as though I was ready to toss the table and attack while increasing nausea from the pressure—okay, the alcohol—churned in my stomach. I tried to smile my reassurance but felt the grimace. I braced a hand on each side of me on the table, swaying to stand. My chair tipped over, crashing against the floor. “Oops.” After righting the chair, I wobbled on quicksand to the bathroom. Leaning against the sink and splashing water on my face seemed like such a good idea until I remembered I hadn’t worn waterproof mascara. I looked up to find long, black streaks running down my face. I was a mess. For some reason, I found it funnier than anything I’d heard in a while. I doubled over in laughter seconds before Lily Laugherty came into the bathroom.

She looked at me, her shock widening her entire face, which made the hiccupped guffaws come harder, in bigger bursts. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, my God. Of course, I’m not okay. Seriously? Did you hear the crap my parents were saying? I came here with Jace, thinking he wasn’t using me as a stand-in for the girl he can’t get out of his head, the one he wants more than anything. I mean what could be better than her twin sister, right?” Yet, the giggles wouldn’t quit. “Really. Look at me, Lily. Do I look okay?”

She grabbed a tissue from the swanky counter full of lotions and sprays. “Actually, you look kind of destroyed.”

“Well, that’s fitting because I feel kind of destroyed.” I snatched the tissue away from her. “Did you know Mel didn’t even call me to tell me about this wedding? I am here by sheer coincidence because I accidentally ran into your brother.”

“I know.” Lily’s voice softened.

“Why, Lil? You’re her best friend. Tell me why.”

Lily grabbed my wrist, leading me to a sofa against the wall. With a gentle shove from her, I sat. “Because you outshine her. For whatever reason, you make her feel less. This is her day, well tomorrow is, and she wants to be the one who shines. Even after everything you went through with them, or maybe because of it, you make her feel like she isn’t enough.”

“Whatever, Lily. She’s the shooting star in our family. She had all the friends and all of the talent. They all loved her best.”

“Who are you kidding? All she has ever wanted to be is half of what you are, and you’re ruining her day. Shame on you.” Taking the tissue, she wiped away my mascara. I grabbed her, stilling her frantic, skin-scraping movements, sure I would have bruises to replace the tracks of makeup on my face. “Do you have any idea what it did to her when you ran away? How hard she took it?”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t tell me. Tell her.”

I nodded.

Lily stood. “You have five minutes, or I’m sending your mother in after you.”

I narrowed my eyes as she stepped out of the bathroom. I could do this. I could walk out there, acting happy for my sister while ignoring my parents, to give Melody her time in the sunlight. I could do it. The question remained—would I?

When I returned, every man at the table stood, and every woman watched me as though waiting for my next breakdown.

Gran leaned close. “I ordered for you while you were gone. Your dad’s paying for dinner, and I wasn’t sure what you liked anymore, so I ordered you steak with lobster, and chicken and pasta.” Her head gave a little shake. “I ordered you some sparkling water.”

Oh, well. Drinking hadn’t gotten me anywhere. Jace put his arm over the rounded spindles of my chair, leaning his body into mine. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “You?”

Nodding, he trailed a finger along the side of my neck.

I shivered in response. “If you keep doing things like that, there’s a pretty good chance I’m going to make a bigger scene than the one I already made.”

“So, Jace, how long have the two of you been seeing each other?” Mrs. Laugherty’s tone suggested she was not at all thrilled with the idea of her son’s involvement with the less-refined sister.

“We ran into each other yesterday.”

Sensing trouble, Dylan hopped on his white horse and rode to my rescue. “Well, I think it’s a pretty great coincidence you’re both here at the same time.”

“Coincidence indeed,” my mother scoffed, her own brand of nasty about to rear its ugly head. She aimed a pout at Melody. “I’ll just bet she is here to ruin your perfect day.”

Only because all of the color had drained from Melody’s face, I held my tongue, hoping she knew I was sorry I had ever agreed to come. I checked in on her brain activity to find fury directed at our parents. Of course, her irritation included me, as well.

Grandma pointed an angry glare at my mother. “Susan, I hardly think now is the time to air our dirty laundry. We can discuss
all
of the wrongs done on the way to the hotel.”

My mother fluffed her hair as she leaned back, not taking her admonishment well.

“Now, Melody,” Grandma continued, “tell me about your dress. I heard it is divine.”

A forced smile emerged on my sister’s lips as she described the fairy-tale dress she’d had shipped from a designer in California. I gushed in all the right places, and Mel stopped shooting me the I-hate-you looks. After our entrees arrived, I felt marginally better. From the dress, Gran led the conversation around to the flowers, the ceremony, and the vows Max and Mel had labored over. Next to me, Jace cringed when Mel spoke about how deeply in love she’d fallen with Max. I gave his knee a little squeeze.

I turned to him. “Sting?”

“How did I not see it?”

“Love is blind, sweetheart.”

“Well, this is awkward.” He seemed surprised by the admission.

I nodded. “Now that you have jumped into my boat, maybe you would like to grab an oar to paddle us the hell out of here.”

“You think we can sneak out?”

“No, but I think we can stand up, say good-bye, and leave.”

“Chicken.”

“Adult,” I countered.

“Just my luck. All the sudden, you want to be a grown-up.”

“Sobered up.” I shrugged. “Blame Gran. She ordered me six plates of food.”

“Well, you ate them all.”

“I have a healthy appetite. Starve a fever, feed an alcoholic.”

Chuckling, he scooted his chair back and stood, holding out his hand to me. “Okay. We’ll do it your way. But you’re kind of sucking the wind out of my sails.”

Slanting my gaze at him, I prepared to be naughtier than I had been in a while. Considering that my grandmother sat right next to me, I reconsidered. “We can talk about your sails later. Let’s get out of here.”

It took longer than I expected to make our way around the table to say good-bye to everyone. When I got to Mel, I apologized as though she was my executioner rather than my sister.

“It’s okay, Lyr.” She glanced at our mother. “I know you’re angry I didn’t call you, but I knew they were coming, and it would be bad for you.”

I shook my head. “It’s your day, Mel. Don’t worry about me.” I looked over her shoulder at Jace who shook hands with his brother.

“I really want you there.” She squeezed my fingers in her own.

“Maybe I’m not the crazy one, after all.”

She grinned, robbing me of all power to refuse. “Promise?”

“Okay, but it is not on my bucket list to get kicked out of a wedding. I just want you to know that in case it happens and you’re left wondering why your wedding turned into a Jerry Springer meets Cops cross-over episode.”

She laughed, pulling me in for a squishy hug.

When our mother reached out to hug me, I shook my head, stepping away from her grasp. She turned her face away, pretending to dab her lids with her napkin. I rolled my eyes.

When we were hidden inside the elevator, Jace pushed me against the wall, covering my mouth with his. He held my face to his, allowing no movement unless he wanted it. After a moment, he tore his lips away to begin a gentle assault against my neck while his hands roamed from my shoulders to my waist.

“Jace,” I whispered.

“Shh. I need you, Mel.”

My entire body stiffened, my hands dropped to my sides, and a split second later, he realized what he’d done.

“Lyric, I am so—” His voice plummeted to a pained whisper. “Sorry.”

Before I could formulate an answer, the doors opened and I rushed through the lobby to the outdoors. The valet keeping post at the front looked me up and down until Jace strolled to my side.

“Your ticket, miss?” The valet’s voice interrupted our staring contest.

“I need a cab.”

Jace grabbed my arm, and I jerked away hard. “Lyric, please.”

Whirling to him, I poked his chest. “I know it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let you keep all your private stuff to yourself. My mistake. Don’t let trying to keep me here be your mistake,” I threatened.

He stepped back then ran his fingers through his hair as he turned away. “God dammit,” he ground out between clenched teeth. He spun toward me again. “Please don’t go. Not like this.”

My cab pulled up, and I yanked the door open before the valet could even take a single step. I climbed in and spit the address out. The cabbie took off as though his ass was on fire. I had never appreciated a taxi driver so much before in my life.

At exactly eleven fourteen, I unlocked the door to the apartment only to stand back in shock. A tornado/cyclone mish mash had mated in my living room, leaving our furniture slashed, the lamps laying broken on the floor, and George’s DVDs strewn about the room in pieces. A hammer stuck out of the TV’s shattered screen.

My phone rang. I answered without bothering to check the caller ID. “What?”

“Hey, Lyric. It’s Wyatt.”

“Wyatt, my place got broke into while I was gone. I’m five kinds of freaked out. I cannot talk to you right now.”

“Did you just get home?” The concern in his voice put a quick halt on my tantrum.

“Yep. Just opened the door.”

“Get out, Lyric. The maniacs could still be there.”

I hadn’t considered the possibility and ran down the stairs to the bar.

“I’m going to hang up and call the police,” he told me.

I hit the end button. When my phone rang again, I answered. “Wyatt?”

“No, it’s Jace. Who’s Wyatt?”

I hung up.

When the phone rang a third time, I checked the screen before answering. “Did you call the cops?”

“Yes. They’re on their way.” Wyatt paused. “I’m on my way.”

“Okay. I’m in the bar downstairs.”
Good Lord. What a day
.

After the police cleared my apartment, allowing me to reenter, I walked straight to my room. “Oh, no,” I moaned.

My clothes were thrown all over the place—this time it hadn’t been me. “Houston, we have a freaking problem.” I eyed my hundreds of pairs of shoes, heels broken off of each and every single sole. At least twenty-thousand dollars’ worth of designer creations lay destroyed, in small bits of their former glory.

My chest tightening, I dropped to my knees amid the carcasses of years of collecting. I shook with anger and grief. Wyatt called out my name from the other room.

I picked up an armful of my beloved shoes, cradling them close to my heart, mourning each one.

Wyatt spoke first to the police, then to George. “She’s sitting on the floor, hugging her shoes.”

A moment later, George sucked in a loud breath taking in the horrific sight. He came to sit next to me and threw his arm around my shoulder, unable to tear his gaze away from the mess. “Oh, baby! These made your legs look so sexy.” He snatched a pair of Blahniks off the floor.

“I know!” I moaned.

“Well, this was clearly done by someone who has legs too chubby for heels this high,” he said. “Who would be brash enough to break in just to commit shoe-icide?”

A police officer groaned at the bad pun and then glanced around the room. “Is there anything missing?”

“Missing? Who cares what is missing! They ruined my damned shoes!” What kind of idiots had been dispatched to cover this hideous, devastating crime? “Look at this!” I held up a Louboutin-embroidered platform heel in white. “This pair alone costs almost a thousand dollars.”